The Very Mortal Lives of Tick and Maria
by EvilLydia
Summary: Tick, the Gandor torture specialist, and Maria, a Mexican assassin, are both characters from the novel. They don't get enough love. Just some one shots of them.


**Chapter 1 - Something Different**

Tick and Maria are characters of the light novel, unfortunately neither of them got to be immortal. Tick is a torture expert for the Gandor family and Maria is a Mexican assassin that carries Japanese swords. All rights belong to Ryogo Narita.

New York, Gandor Jazz Club - Summer 1936

Tick was preparing a snack while on break from work. While doing so all he could think about was Maria. It had been a while since they had starting dating. When she had asked him out he was a little confused. He knew that he was a messed up person; he also knew that he wasn't smart or hansom either. Then again she may be as messed up as he was.

As his break was coming to an end when Maria came prancing through the door. She had her swords on her hips and a bright red carnation in her hair. Cradled in her arms was wine bottle.

Tick had never been a big drinker. In fact, he didn't even try alcohol until the start of the prohibition. Even then he usually only drank when he was with the brothers

"~Look what I got~" she sang, "~Let's have some fun~" 'I always have fun you.' He thought to himself. "Sorry," he answered out loud, "I'm still work'in. Come over to my place later on and we'll have some fun then." Maria smiled brightly at him, nodding, and said, "OK, I've got some things that I want to do first so I see you." With a cute wave she skipped back out the door.

As he walked to the back door he had a skip in his step. To him Maria was amazing. Lately she had been working more often and had been to busy to play with him. To spend the afternoon with her something special.

In the back room that he normally used as his office was a man that maybe 6 or 7 years older than him was tied to a chair. He was covered with bruises, which was something that he didn't do, and long cuts along his chest, which he did do. Mr. Luck was standing right in front of him. The man didn't look like he was awake.

Mr. Luck noticed him the moment that he came in the door. His frown turned into a humorless smile. "Thank you for your help today, Mr. Tick, I have everything I need." Tick continued to smile in his childish way, "Then if there's nothing else for me to do, I'm going home." Mr. Luck turned away, and waved with his back to him as Tick left the room.

It was a hot day and Tick had thought about getting ice cream but it might be better if he got some with a friend. On his way home he went by the market to get something to make for dinner. One of his favorite things to do with Maria was cooking.

With an arm full of groceries he made his way up the stairs to his apartment. It was small and cheap, but it was perfect for him. On the windowsill was a potted flower. His apartment was neat and clean. He closed the door with his foot, put his things down and locked the door. This was mostly out of habit; the only time that his door wasn't locked was when he was using it.

All of his things have a proper place of their own. Maria had been to his house many times and had left things there from time to time. She usually came over in the morning and then after they when to work they would go home separately. She had come over in the evening a couple times before but she had always left before dinner.

He began wiping off his already clean counters as a way to pass the time. When there was nothing left to do he started reading a book that he had picked up some time ago but had never gotten around to reading.

Just as he was starting to feel sleepy there was a sharp knock on the door. He set aside the book, he straightened himself up to answer the door. When he opened the door Maria hugged him around the neck. The little things that she did like this always made him blush.

"Would you like to make some dinner with me?" he asked over her shoulder. She stepped away smiling, grabbed the tote bag that was on the floor and walked past him inside. "Of course." she said as she passed.

By the time he closed and locked the door she was already in the kitchen. She put the bottle in the freezer and started pulling out ingredients from the refrigerator for beef soup. It was a good meal because it required a lot of cutting, something that they both loved.

While she was doing this, he ran hot water over the pair of scissors that he kept in the kitchen. She started preparing the meat so he started cutting the vegetables. They stood side by side making dinner and chatting about their week. It was fun and it seemed that they never seemed to run out of things to talk about.

The cooking went fast and soon they were sitting in his living roon with two bowls of really good looking soup and two coffee cups of wine. He didn't own and wine glasses, he didn't have any need for them, but Maria didn't mind.

The meal was spend in his small dinner area, where they talked about cutting, among other things. It was a nice dinner and before they knew it the sun had set and it was dark out. Tick gathered the dishes from the table and headed for the sink.

"Um, do you want me to walk you home?" he asked. He could feel her smile without turning around. It was kind of funny to ask. She was much stronger than he was and had been out late at night many times before for work, or sometime just looking for some way to pass the time. "No, I can make it...but you know, if you invited me to stay the night I wouldn't say no."

He nearly dropped the dishes he was holding. Maria as the most beautiful woman he ha ever met and she didn't think he was creepy, not to mention that she called him her boyfriend. Now she wanted to spend the night.

He busied himself washing the dishes while he thought about the situation before him. It was something that he needed to think about before he could answer.

He didn't know if it was a proper thing to invite her. On the one hand, of course he wanted her to stay, but on the other hand, she was a lady and he respected her. He didn't want other people to think bad things about her if they found out about this situation.

While he was arguing with himself, Maria went over to the window to peer outside. This place was really special, she really loved this apartment. The only problems were the loud neighbors. It sounded like they were always fighting. Well, that might not at accurate. It sounded more like he was doing most of the fighting and she was just crying. Maria really didn't care either way, but she did wonder why that woman didn't just take a knife and kill him already. That's what she would have done if a man every hurt her.

"Um, Maria," Tick interrupted her line of thought. "Yes~" she sang. "You can, if you want, stay the night here. I'll get the couch ready so you can take my bed. It's comfortable. If you don't want that it's fine, I'll- "she put up a hand to stop him. He was speaking so fast she could barely understand half of what he was saying. "I'd like that." She smiled at him. He seemed to relax considerably.

He was happy, this was the first time he had a friend stay the night.


End file.
